Spherical container



April 10, H. c. BOARDMAN 1,953,949

PF 510, 1934- HQ'c. BOARDMAN 1,953,949

. SPHERICAL CQNTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 Filed Dem-15 1932 Patented Apr. "10, 1934 SPHERICAL CONTAINER Harry 0. Boardrnan, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Bridge & Iron Company ChIcago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 15, 1932, Serial No. 647,465

5 Claims. (01. 220-4) This invention relates to improvements in spherical containers and, more especially, to sheet metal spherical containers and supports therefor.

The invention is especially applicable in connection with spherical containers adapted to contain fluids under pressure, for example, spheres holding compressed gas. It has been found that sheet metal spherical gas containers are subject to considerable expansion and contraction due to thermal and pressure variations. Owing to this expansion and contraction of the container, difficultyhas been encountered in supporting the same.

In some of the older forms of supports, a plurality of vertical posts were provided, said posts being connected by braces, struts, tie rods, lacing, or the like. These connections tied together the upper ends of the posts sufliciently so that they were not free'to permit thermal and pressure expansion and contraction of the container without imposing undesirable stresses on the container or the supports.

In other older forms of supports, the posts were entirely separate but were so short that they did not have suflicient transverse or radial flexibility to permit the thermal and pressure expansion and contraction of the tank without imposing undue stresses.

The'principal feature of my invention-is the the supports being attached to the container at points lying substantially in a horizontal plane and the lower ends thereof resting on suitable foundations. The supports are also triangulated to resist wind forces. This triangulation thus serves the purpose of the older braces or tie rods between the supports to resist wind forces, but does not limit the radial movement of the upper ends of the supports to permit expansion and contraction of the container.

Other features and advantages of my invention ing a modification; Fig. 5 is a detail View showing the method of attaching the upper end of one of the supports of Fig. 4 to the container; Fig. 6 is a view taken as indicated by the line 6 of Fig. 4; and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, showing modifications.

As shown in the drawings, 10 may indicate a spherical container, for example, a container made of a plurality of sheet metal plates welded or otherwise fastened together and adapted to contain gas under pressure inside,

11, 11 indicate a plurality of entirely unconnected and independent supports for the container 10, the upper ends 11 of said support being attached to the container at points lying substantially in a horizontal plane and the lower ends thereof resting on suitable foundations 12. As here shown, I'have provided eight of said supports arranged in four pairs. These supports are triangulated by bringing the lower ends oi. each pair adjacent and resting the same on a single foundation 12. I have shown the upper ends of the supports as attached to the container at points somewhat below the horizontal mid-section of the same and the lower ends of the supports 11 are drawn inwardly somewhat so that each support slants outwardly from its lower end to its upper end.

As here shown, each of the supports is formed of an upper-section and the upper ends are attached to the shell 10 by welding 13. I have also provided a small bracing angle 14 at the upper end of each of the supports 11.

The form shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is substan- 1 each of the supports 111 is formed of a channel.

The modifications shown diagrammatically in Figs. '7, 8 and 9 indicate variations that the invention may take. For example, as shown in Fig. '7. the supports 211 may be divided into pairs with the upper ends of each pair adjacent instead of the supports are not drawn inwardly. In the form shown in Fig. 8 the lower ends of adjacent supports 311 rest on common foundations 312 and the upper ends 311' are adjacent where they are attached to the sphere. As here shown, the lower ends of the supports are drawn inwardly somewhat. In the form shown in Fig. 9 the supports 411 are arranged in pairs with the upper ends of each pair adjacent, substantially as shown in Fig. '7, except that the lower ends of the supports are drawn inwardly somewhat.

In stating that the upper ends of the supports are free to expand or contract, I means that they can move readily outwardly or inwardly with very little resistance.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

of the lower ends. As here shown, the lower ends what I regard as new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a spherical container, a plurality of entirely unconnected and independent supports for the same, the upper ends of said supports being attached to the container at points lying substantially in a horizontal plane in which the container is subjected to considerable thermal and pressure expansion and contraction, thelower ends of said supports resting on suitable foundations, said supports having sumcient longitudinal strength to serve as columns in supporting the sphere and suflicient length and transverse flexibility to permit said thermal and pressure expansion and contraction in said plane.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the supports are triangulated.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the supports have their lower ends drawn inwardly.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the supports are triangulated and have their lower ends drawn inwardly.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the supports are arranged in pairs with the lower ends of each pair adjacent. v.

HARRY 0. BOARDMAN. 

